Frankie Dettori says he "will cry for sure" when he jumps off his final Royal Ascot mount on Saturday in the meeting the Italian superstar jockey describes as "The Olympics of racing".
The 52-year-old will be seeking to add to his 77 Royal Ascot winners -- second only to the late Lester Piggott (116) -- on a track where he also rode his historic seven winners in September 1996.
AFP Sport picks out key facts and figures to Dettori's Royal Ascot love affair:
1989 -- First Royal Ascot ride on Rain Burst in the Coronation Stakes.
1990 -- First Royal Ascot winner Markofdistinction Queen Anne Stakes.
1992 -- First Ascot Gold Cup victory Drum Taps
1995 -- Wins the Ribblesdale Stakes for owner Queen Elizabeth II on Phantom Gold.
1997 -- Leading jockey at Royal Ascot for first time.
1998 -- Leading jockey
1999 -- Leading jockey
2000 -- Missed meeting due to injuries suffered in a plane crash which killed the pilot but his life was saved by fellow jockey and passenger Ray Cochrane.
2001 -- Fully recovered he returns to guide Fantastic Light to Group One success in Prince of Wales's Stakes.
2003 -- Leading jockey
2004 -- Leading jockey
2015 -- Brings up half century of Royal Ascot victories with Osaila in Sandringham Stakes
2018 -- 60th Royal Ascot winner comes on imperious stayer Stradivarius in the Ascot Gold Cup
2019 -- A memorable week as he is crowned leading jockey for the first time since 2004 with seven winners including Stradivarius in the Gold Cup. All his four rides on Gold Cup day were winners.
2020 -- Another memorable week. Leading jockey for seventh time and when he wins the Coronation Stakes on Alpine Star ensures he has won all eight Group One races the meeting stages.
Also brings up his 70th victory -- Fanny Logan in Hardwicke Stakes.
2022 -- Inspiral victory in Coronation Stakes his 77th and most recent win.
However, a series of high profile losses led to question marks about his future and he lost the rides temporarily on the trainer he equates to Jose Mourinho John Gosden's horses.
Records:
Leading rider -- seven
Ascot Gold Cup -- eight
Holds record number of wins for: Ribblesdale Stakes (eight), Queen Anne Stakes (seven), Prince of Wales's Stakes (four), Queen Mary Stakes (four), Commonwealth Cup (two)
Ridden a Royal Ascot winner in 27 different years
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